The Wall Street Journal Europe: Chinese Government Pressures US Mayors to Persecute Falun Gong

Media Report on How the Chinese Government Urges US Mayors to persecute Falun Gong in America

The Wall Street Journal Europe: Letter from America

A Beast in Our Belly

By Claudia Rosett

02/21/2002

Time was when Americans had to travel halfway around the world to feel the steely touch of China' state security apparatus. No longer. In their fervour to destroy any grass roots movements that might challenge their chokehold on power, China' rulers are hustling
these days to share their bizarre, oppressive tactics not only with their own 1.3 billion citizens, but as far as possible with folks all across America.

In particular, Beijing has been offering its own nasty brand of spiritual guidance to hundreds of American mayors, in big cities and small towns, from Los Angeles to Baltimore to the Illinois Corn Belt. The most visible target of this Beijing outreach program is the Falun Gong spiritual movement, also known as the Falun Dafa -- made up in China mainly of middle-aged working people looking for some faith more appealing than the bankrupt ideology of communism.

After some 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners staged a peaceful demonstration in April, 1999, in front of Communist Party headquarters near Tiananmen Square, China' rulers banned the movement, condemning it as an "[slanderous term used by Chinese government]" and embarking on an official campaign to wipe it out. Since then, China' government has racked up quite a record of jailing, torturing and in scores of cases killing Falun Gong followers inside China.

Falun Gong followers outside China have responded --reasonably enough -- by seeking gestures of support. This is how America’s mayors come in. It is a widespread and largely decorative habit of U.S. mayors to issue proclamations celebrating groups, themes and causes of the day. In the U.S., Falun Gong practitioners have asked many mayors to issue proclamations honouring their movement.

The Chinese government, not content with persecuting the Falun Gong in China, has responded by urging American officials to shun or even persecute them right here in America. The approach, made variously by letter, phone call or personal visit from a Chinese official based at China' Washington embassy or one of its consulates, tends to combine scare tactics with slyly implied diplomatic and commercial pressure.

Fairly typical is the experience of Mayor Randy Voepel, of Santee, California, a city of 58,000 on the outskirts of San Diego County. A little over a year ago, Mr. Voepel received a letter from the newly arrived Chinese Consul General in nearby Los Angeles, Lan Lijun. Mr. LAN’s letter began with a cheery greeting, and rolled right along to describe the Falun Gong movement as a [slanderous term used by Chinese government] that creates "a panic atmosphere" and that unchecked in America could end up "jeopardizing your social stability." Noting that China would "like to establish and develop friendly relations with your city" -- and implying this would require complying with China' wishes -- Mr. Lan' letter went on to urge that that "no recognition and support in any form should be given to the Falun Gong" and urged banning them from registration as any kind of official organization.

Not so typical was Mr. Voepel' reaction. A Vietnam war veteran with a profound respect for America' freedoms, Mr. Voepel wrote back: "Your letter personally chilled me to my bones. I was shocked that a Communist Nation would go to this amount of trouble to suppress what is routinely accepted in this country . . . . I have the greatest respect for the Chinese people in your country and everywhere else in the world, but must be honest in my concern for the suppression of human rights by your government as evidenced by your request." Mr. Voepel then issued a mayoral proclamation commending the Falun Gong.

A few other officials, including a raft of mayors in small-town Illinois, have stood up the China'
pressure. But many have kow-towed, including the mayors of San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore and Los Angeles -- all of whom in 1999 rescinded proclamations they had issued for the Falun Gong. Similarly, former Mayor Robert Thomas of Westland, Michigan, last year withdrew his designation of March 4-9 as “Falun Dafa Week." Explaining in a letter to the Falun Gong petitioners, which he dutifully copied to the Chinese Consulate in Chicago, he wrote: "I have received information from the Consulate General of the People' Republic of China in Chicago, explaining the real nature of your organization . . . . I hereby rescind the proclamation."

Recently, China has even pressured the mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah -- currently hosting the Olympics, as China is slated to do in 2008. Last month, the Chinese embassy' Deputy Chief of Mission, He Yafei paid a call on Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, who issued a proclamation last year honoring the Falun Gong. As part of a "security briefing," Mr. He' message included warnings about the Falun Gong, which was one of many groups that applied to the mayor' office for permission to hold a peaceful demonstration during the Olympics. Salt Lake' Mr. Anderson, to his credit, let the demonstration go ahead.

Obviously the Falun Gong, with its blend of meditation, exercise and otherworldly visions, may not be everyone' cup of tea. Yet the soul of America itself centres on allowing individual choice, not only in market transactions, but in matters of faith. President George Bush during his visit to Beijing today and tomorrow will be seeking common ground with his Chinese government hosts. But it would also be a good moment to remind China' rulers that persecution of peaceful spiritual movements is the kind of ugly, embarrassing habit they need to be trying to shed inside China itself -- not share with the wider world.